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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Software Test Engineer - **Company:** Actalent - **Location:** Springfield, VA, United States - **Experience:** Experienced - **Contract:** Temporary to permanent - **Skills:** Testing (Software), Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Artificial Intelligence, JIRA, Automation of Tests, Behavior-Driven Development, Continuous Integration, Data Validation, Regression Testing, E2e Testing, Selenium, Software Systems, SQL Databases, Systems Integration, Test Data, Strategies of Testing, Reliability of Systems, Git, Information Technology, Playwright, Cucumber (Software), Software Version Control, Jenkins - **Published:** September 12, 2026 - **Apply:** https://dejobs.org/x/x/E7E2CA760F81497C9C2C3C4CE073D581/job/ ## About the Role * At least 2+ years of experience in software testing, quality assurance, or test automation. * Proven experience owning test strategy and leading testing efforts for software projects. * Hands-on experience with test automation using Selenium and/or Playwright. * Proficiency in SQL for validating business processes, calculations, integrations, and reports. * Experience using version control systems such as Git for managing test assets and collaborating with developers. * Experience working with issue and test management tools such as Jira and/or Xray. * Strong background in functional, integration, regression, exploratory, and end-to-end testing. * Ability to design, maintain, and execute automated test suites and analyze results effectively. * Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a focus on root cause analysis and defect prevention. * Ability to work independently, drive testing activities to completion, and manage multiple priorities. * Excellent communication skills for clearly conveying status, risks, and findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders. * Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, engineering, or equivalent experience. Additional Skills & Qualifications * Experience testing APIs and integrations, including validation of request and response behaviors. * Familiarity with CI/CD practices and tools such as Jenkins for integrating automated tests into pipelines. * Exposure to AI-assisted testing tools and approaches. * Experience supporting User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and collaborating with business stakeholders. * Experience working with Cucumber or similar behavior-driven development (BDD) frameworks. * Demonstrated learning agility and ability to quickly absorb new technologies and domain knowledge. * Strong quality mindset with a focus on continuous improvement, efficiency, and reliability. ## Description The Software Test Engineer designs and executes comprehensive testing strategies to ensure the quality, reliability, and compliance of complex software solutions. This role owns the test strategy for projects, combining manual and automated testing, data validation, and close collaboration with technical and business teams. The position suits someone who enjoys working independently, takes ownership of product quality outcomes, and contributes to continuous improvement in a fast-evolving environment., * Define and execute project test strategies that align with business objectives, project risks, and release timelines. * Develop detailed test plans, test scenarios, and testing schedules for assigned projects. * Review requirements to ensure they are complete, testable, and verifiable, and identify any coverage gaps. * Identify and communicate testing risks, dependencies, and areas of limited coverage. * Provide clear quality status updates and informed release readiness recommendations. * Design, execute, and document functional, integration, regression, exploratory, and end-to-end tests. * Coordinate testing activities across teams and actively support User Acceptance Testing (UAT). * Create, maintain, and organize test cases, test data, and test evidence to support traceability and audits. * Document, prioritize, track, and verify defects through resolution, collaborating closely with developers. * Develop, maintain, and execute automated test cases using tools such as Selenium, Playwright, and Cucumber. * Run automated regression test suites, analyze results, and report findings clearly and promptly. * Continuously increase automation coverage and testing efficiency across applications and services. * Investigate automation failures, determine root causes, and drive issues to resolution. * Perform SQL-based validation of business processes, calculations, integrations, and reporting outputs. * Create and manage test data sets required for functional, integration, and data validation efforts. * Drive assigned testing activities to completion without requiring continual direction. * Quickly identify blockers, communicate them to stakeholders, and work to remove or mitigate them. * Meet delivery commitments while maintaining high quality standards and attention to detail. * Proactively communicate testing status, risks, issues, and delays to project stakeholders. * Actively participate in team discussions, design reviews, and quality review sessions. * Ask clarifying questions when expectations or requirements are unclear to reduce ambiguity and rework. * Collaborate effectively with both technical and business teams to ensure shared understanding of quality goals. * Quickly learn new business processes, technologies, and compliance requirements relevant to the products under test. * Apply training materials and documented processes independently in daily work. * Demonstrate curiosity and a commitment to continuous learning and improvement in testing practices. * Adapt to changing priorities, project scopes, and timelines while maintaining focus on quality outcomes. * Focus on defect prevention by contributing to better requirements, design, and process improvements. * Apply analytical thinking to identify root causes of defects and suggest improvement opportunities. * Contribute recommendations that improve overall product quality, testing efficiency, and system reliability. * Take ownership of product quality outcomes, acting as a strong advocate for end users and stakeholders. ## Related Videos - [GitOps for the people](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/461-gitops-for-the-people) - [Why Testing Matters in AI - Luise Freese and Elio Struyf](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1837-why-testing-matters-in-ai-luise-freese-and-elio-struyf) - [GitLab CI pipelines for a whole company](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/143-gitlab-ci-pipelines-for-a-whole-company) - [How a Small Team Shrank a Microsoft Monorepo by 94%](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1236-how-a-small-team-shrank-a-microsoft-monorepo-by-94) - [Improving quality with Agentic AI with Rovo Dev and Xray](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2005-improving-quality-with-agentic-ai-with-rovo-dev-and-xray) - [Continuous testing - run automated tests for every change!](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/190-continuous-testing-run-automated-tests-for-every-change) ## Related Articles - [The 8 Best Code Testing Tools](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/402-the-8-best-code-testing-tools) - [The 12 Best Jobs for Software Engineers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/401-the-12-best-jobs-for-software-engineers) - [How to create a test plan for software testing](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/56-how-to-create-a-test-plan-for-software-testing) - [What is a Test Plan: Guide to Test Planning](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/191-what-is-a-test-plan-guide-to-test-planning) - [Integration And E2E Testing: Are They Complementary or Interchangeable?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/86-integration-and-e2e-testing-are-they-complementary-or-interchangeable) - [Is Software Engineering Over-Saturated?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/418-is-software-engineering-over-saturated)